As Iran approaches the nuclear threshold, Israeli leaders are explicitly warning of an imminent pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. The IDF has begun training for precisely that possibility, the consequences of which would be devastating. Is a pre-emptive strike worth the price? Is stopping what many Israelis perceive as a potential existential threat worth any risk? And how does Jewish tradition define a legitimate act of self-defense?

And as we approach the point of no return, Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain begin the conversation many North American Jews have preferred to avoid: how to speak about this increasingly realistic scenario. Click here to download Elana’s sources from this episode.

A transcript of this episode is available here.